The MN Guide to Independent Bookstore Day 2025

Jump to store listings:
Minneapolis | St. Paul | Greater Twin Cities Metro | Outside the Metro | Outside Minnesota

It’s that time of year! On April 26, 2025, bookstores throughout Minnesota and around the country will be celebrating Independent Bookstore Day.

Officially participating stores will have exclusive Independent Bookstore Day items while supplies last, which usually isn’t long—tote bags, advance reader copies (ARCs), fancy pencils, puzzles, and more—and may have sales and other special promotions. Locally, there are almost 40 stores participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport, which offers shoppers chances to unlock coupons and win prizes during the week leading up to Indie Bookstore Day, and there’s a separate passport program just for the Twin Ports area; the Midwest Indie Bookstore Roadmap is also back. (More on all of those in a minute.) As always, both the Twin Cities passport and the roadmap feature illustrations by Twin Cities cartoonist Kevin Cannon.

News since last year’s Independent Bookstore Day:

• Strive Bookstore is moving out of its Nicollet Mall location on May 1 (details yet to be announced)
• Chapter One in Victoria will be permanently closing at the end of April 2025
• Paperback Exchange in Minneapolis suffered massive flooding damage in February 2025—find information on their fundraising campaign and Indie Bookstore Day pop-up shop in the listings on this page
• Inkwell Booksellers opened in Minneapolis in February 2025
• The Bookstore in Pine City has a new owner as of January 2025
• Hey Darling, a romance bookstore, opened in Austin in October 2024
• Story Line Books opened in the St. Paul Union Depot in September 2024
• The Willow Bookstore in Perham has a new owner and a new name, Big Pine Books, as of May 2024

Rain Taxi Review

Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport: Pick up a passport at any of the participating metro-area stores, listed on the Rain Taxi website and noted in the listings below, now through April 27. Each store visit during this week earns you a passport stamp that activates a coupon you can use on another visit. Collect 10 stamps to activate all the coupons; collect 20 or more to enter a prize pack drawing; and collect 30 or more for the grand prize drawing.

Twin Ports Independent Bookstore Passport: Visit the participating stores to pick up a passport and win prizes like tote bags, mugs, and gift certificates. Included in this program are Amazing Alonzo, the Bookstore at Fitger’s, Crow & Co. to Go (at Duluth Cider on Saturday and Bent Paddle on Sunday), Foxes & Fireflies, and Zenith Bookstore.

Midwest Indie Bookstore Roadmap: Win prizes by shopping at any of the stores featured on this map from the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association (MIBA), either online or in person, between April 26, 2025, and next year’s Independent Bookstore Day. Take a picture of your purchase and post it on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook with the hashtag #BookstoreRoadmap, plus tag the store and MIBA in the post. MIBA will randomly select one entry each month to win a $50 gift card to the bookstore of the winner’s choice—and on next year’s Indie Bookstore Day, one grand-prize winner from all of the year’s entries will win a $500 gift card. The more stores you shop at and tag, the more likely you are to win the grand prize. The Bookstore Roadmap includes most (but not all!) independent bookstores in the state.

Libro.fm: This platform, which allows you to buy audiobooks while supporting your favorite local bookstore, is having a sale on select bestselling titles now through April 27. Additionally, a golden ticket will be hidden in select bookstores, good for 12 audiobook credits on Libro.fm if you find it—see the listings below to see which stores are participating and find the full rules on the Libro.fm website.

For more news and info on Independent Bookstore Day, follow IndieBound on social media or visit IndieBookstoreDay.com.

This list may be updated after initial publication as more information becomes available. All listed sales and events are limited to April 26 except for the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport (as described above) and where otherwise noted.

Jump to:
Minneapolis | St. Paul | Greater Twin Cities Metro | Outside the Metro | Outside Minnesota

Minneapolis

Babycake’s Book Stack is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport. This mobile bookstore will be parked at Moon Palace Books on Saturday.

Big Hill Books in Bryn Mawr is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and Libro.fm golden ticket. From April 23 through 27, there will be merch grab bags for adults and kids and 40% off select hardcovers, while supplies last, plus you can paint a “book brick” for $1 to help create the store’s new garden path.

Birchbark Books in Kenwood is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and Libro.fm golden ticket.

Boneshaker Books in Seward is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and will be giving out a free risograph print with each purchase on Saturday. The store will also be open extended hours (11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.) from Wednesday through Saturday and running a prize raffle through Monday.

The Book House in Dinkytown is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport. You can get double stamps on the store’s discount cards from April 23 through April 27, and all books will be 20% off on Saturday. All month long, poetry books are 20% off for National Poetry Month.

Comma in Linden Hills is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and Libro.fm golden ticket and will have official Indie Bookstore Day items and giveaways. You can also find signed books and a prize wheel with discounts, giveaways, and other surprises.

DreamHaven Books and Comics in South Minneapolis is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

Eat My Words Bookstore in Northeast is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

Inkwell Booksellers in Marcy-Holmes/St. Anthony, which opened in February, is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

The Irreverent Bookworm in South Minneapolis will have free snacks in the shop, and the first five customers of the day will receive a free Irreverent Bookworm tote. Enter to win one of three $50 gift certificates and check out the brand-new shop logo sticker design (“psst…it’s queer”). Watch the store’s Instagram or Facebook feed for more updates and fun happenings.

Magers & Quinn Booksellers in Uptown is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and will have official Indie Bookstore Day items.

Mayday Books on the U of M’s West Bank is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and will be offering its usual discount of 15% off paperbacks and 20% off new hardcover books.

Milkweed Books at Open Book near downtown Minneapolis is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and Libro.fm golden ticket. The store will have treats and a number of promotions: Buy three books, get a little surprise; buy four books, get a big prize; buy 10 or more books, get a “discount of a decent size”; and sign up for a Milkweed membership and get a free tote bag, a free copy of The Carrying by Ada Limón, a bonus broadside, and a member discount.

Moon Palace Books in Longfellow is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and Libro.fm golden ticket and will have official Indie Bookstore Day items. Fellow Minneapolis indie Paperback Exchange, which has been displaced by flooding, will be operating a pop-up shop behind Moon Palace on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; Babycake’s Book Stack will also be parked outside on Saturday. (More information in those stores’ respective listings.)

Once Upon a Crime in Whittier is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and will be hosting local true crime author Ron de Beaulieu at 12:00 p.m. to chat with customers and sign books. The store is normally closed Sundays but will be open April 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for shoppers to come by and get their passports stamped.

Paperback Exchange in South Minneapolis was devastated by flooding from a city water main break on February 13, 2025. The storefront remains closed, but on April 25–27 the team will be operating a pop-up behind Moon Palace Books. The store is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport. An ongoing GoFundMe campaign is raising funds for repair efforts and employee support.

Strive Bookstore on Nicollet Mall is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport. On Independent Bookstore Day, visit the store for free fresh-baked cookies by Moo-Free (vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free). Strive will be moving to a new location on May 1 and is currently selling a T-shirt with a design by Kevin Cannon to commemorate its current location in the Young Quinlan building and raise funds for the move.

Tropes & Trifles in the Standish neighborhood is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

Tropes & Trifles in Minneapolis. (Read our profile of this store: “Tropes & Trifles, Minneapolis’s Romance Bookstore, Thrives on Community.”) Madeleine Vasaly

Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore and Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore in Longfellow is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport, and author Patricia C. Wrede will be signing in the store from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers in Linden Hills is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and will have official Indie Bookstore Day items, giveaways, and a button-making station while supplies last.

Jump to:
Minneapolis | St. Paul | Greater Twin Cities Metro | Outside the Metro | Outside Minnesota

St. Paul

Against the Current in Macalester-Groveland is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

Black Garnet Books in the Midway neighborhood is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport. Enjoy a 10% off sale, make-your-own-bookmark activity, and cake pops in the store; get a free “All Books Are Political” tote if you’re among the first 50 customers on Indie Bookstore Day; and spend $50 or more to enter a prize raffle.

Midway Used and Rare Books in St. Paul is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

Next Chapter Booksellers in Macalester-Groveland is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

Other Skies Weird Fiction in West St. Paul is offering 20% off all in-store purchases from Friday through Sunday.

Red Balloon Bookshop in Cathedral Hill is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and will have exclusive items and giveaways. There will also be two special story times with local author-illustrators: Michael Hall (Punch!) at 10:30 a.m. and Drew Brockington (Kitty Camp) at 1:00 p.m.

Story Line Books in the St. Paul Union Depot is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport. There will be read-aloud story time (Knight Owl) at 10:30 a.m., a book signing with Roger Barr (A Murder on the Hill) at 1:00 p.m., and book trivia at 4:00 p.m. Every purchase earns you an entry in a grand prize drawing—and you can get a bonus entry by purchasing a book by a Minnesota author. And because it’s 4/26, the 4th and 26th customers will each get a $20 gift card. You can also find the day’s schedule on Instagram.

SubText Books in downtown St. Paul is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and will have coffee on hand for customers. Get 10% off all shelf-talker titles, signed copies, and paid preorders, plus 15% off five special secret titles that are being announced over the course of the week. Find more information on the store’s event page.

Jump to:
Minneapolis | St. Paul | Greater Twin Cities Metro | Outside the Metro | Outside Minnesota

Greater Twin Cities Metro

Avant Garden in Anoka will be hosting its weekly Saturday story hour from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Black Letter Books in Stillwater is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

Cream and Amber in Hopkins is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and will have official Indie Bookstore Day items. Get 15% off all staff picks and used books, shop the sidewalk merch sale, and check out the iced Honeywitch Latte special at the café. The store is also offering daily discounts all week long—check the Cream & Amber Instagram or Facebook feed to see what’s on sale each day.

Excelsior Bay Books in Excelsior is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

Lake Country Booksellers in White Bear Lake is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport. The store will be offering free advance reader copies, treats, and 10% off sales.

Little Charity Book Truck will be parked outside Base Camp Coffee & Provisions and Unmapped Brewing in Minnetonka from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The nonprofit mobile bookstore will have “Read more, help more” pencils, bookmarks, and other freebies; free advance reader copies with purchase while supplies last; a book tote giveaway; and “our limited yearly releases of our totes, hats, and journals.”

Niche Books in Lakeville is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and Libro.fm golden ticket. The store will have Indie Bookstore Day giveaways and totes for purchase, and you can get a free Niche Books sticker when you show a receipt from any business in downtown Lakeville (while supplies last). There will be a used book sale all day, children’s story time from 10:30 to 10:45 a.m., and signings with three local authors: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Katie Macmillan (Running Home); 12:00–1:00 p.m., Ellie Palmer (Four Weekends and a Funeral); and 1:00–2:00 p.m., Loretta Ellsworth (The French Winemaker’s Daughter).

The Thinking Spot in Wayzata is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and Libro.fm golden ticket. There will be freebies and raffle entries with purchase, official Indie Bookstore Day items, 20% off all used and bargain books all day, and a free advanced review copy with any book purchase between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. or 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. Find more details on the store’s event page.

Valley Bookseller in Stillwater is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and Libro.fm golden ticket. In the store, there will be on-the-hour drawings for Valley Bookseller gift cards as well as three tote bags filled with children’s books courtesy of HarperCollins. Online, there will be a gift card drawing for all website orders placed on Independent Bookstore Day.

The Vintage Storyteller in Maple Plain is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

Jump to:
Minneapolis | St. Paul | Greater Twin Cities Metro | Outside the Metro | Outside Minnesota

Outside the Metro

The Amazing Alonzo is participating in the Twin Ports Independent Bookstore Passport.

Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery in Park Rapids is participating in the Libro.fm golden ticket, and authors Janet Preus (The Thirteenth Crime) and Selina Li Bi (Sunlight Playing Over a Mountain) will be signing copies of their new books from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Throughout the day there will be cupcakes, Independent Bookstore Day bookmarks and exclusive items, a free advance reader copy with any purchase, and Banned Books Bingo. Visit the store’s event page for more information.

Big Pine Books in Perham (formerly the Willow Bookstore) will have Indie Bookstore Day items and giveaways. Find sneak peeks and other information on the store’s Instagram and Facebook feeds.

At Books Revisited in St. Cloud, everything in the store will be 20% off. There will also be giveaways, signed exclusive books and Indie Bookstore Day merchandise, and complimentary refreshments.

Buffalo Books & Coffee in Buffalo will have Indie Bookstore Day items, a prize drawing, giveaways, and “fun all day.” Saturday is also Ladies Day Out, a day when you can shop local, enter prize drawings, and sample treats at participating Buffalo businesses.

The Bookstore at Fitger’s in Duluth is participating in the Twin Ports Independent Bookstore Passport. Author Sherry Roberts (Up There) will be signing books from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and Linda LeGarde Grover (Song Over Miskwaa Rapids) from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., and there will be treats, giveaways, and prize raffles—prizes include advanced reader copies, stickers, tote bags, and gift certificates. Finally, customers can play Author Bingo, where you’ll explore the store looking for recommendations from some of the store’s most popular authors.

The Bookstore in Pine City is participating in the Libro.fm golden ticket and will have storewide discounts, giveaways (including a gift box worth over $50 of bookish items), and a special local author event.

Chapter One in Victoria is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport and celebrating its last Indie Bookstore Day—the store is permanently closing its doors at the end of April. All items will be discounted, and the team is hoping to clear the shelves before the closing date.

At Chapter Two in Redwood Falls, every child who comes in will get one of the following six books: Of a Feather by Dayna Lorentz, The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman, Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox, How Much Farther, Papa Smurf? by Ross Pearlman and Melanie Demmer, Pepper Page Saves the Universe! by Landry Q. Walker and Eric Jones, and Chunky by Yehudi Mercado. There will also be sweet treats and a prize drawing for “bookish goodies.”

Cherry Street Books in Alexandria is celebrating Indie Bookstore Day all day. The store’s Saturday children’s story hour will also be happening from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.; this week, the featured author is Jory John (The Bad Seed).

Content Bookstore in Northfield is starting festivities early with special bookseller profiles on social media throughout the week. On Saturday, the store will have official Indie Bookstore Day items, and customers can get an IBD tote free when they spend $100 or more (or you can buy one for $15). Every purchase also enters you to win the Tote of Contentment, “a classy canvas bag of bookish riches that we promise will amaze and delight the lucky winner.” There will be a scavenger hunt running throughout the day—complete it for a “small bookish prize” (while supplies last). And readers of all ages can add to the store’s community bookshelf mural.

Crow & Co. pop-up bookstore in Duluth is participating in the Twin Ports Independent Bookstore Passport and will be selling at Duluth Cider on Saturday (12:00–6:00 p.m.) and Bent Paddle on Sunday (12:00–4:00 p.m.).

Drury Lane Books in Grand Marais will have giveaways all day, free treats, and a very special meet-and-greet: From 12:30 to 2:00 p.m., the store will be hosting nine-year-old author Kiki Garcia with her new book, Fishing by Torchlight.

Fair Trade Books in Red Wing gifts every first-time customer a free book based on their reading interests. For sales of more than $100, patrons will receive a Northern Sun canvas bookbag. There will be “the usual discounts, promotions, and specials.”

Four Pines Bookstore in Bemidji is having a Highlights puzzle party for kids from 10:00 a.m. to noon and meet-and-greets with local authors. Select books will be on sale as low as $5, and there will be giveaways and free cookies from Sundog Handmade while supplies last.

Inkwell Booksellers in Minneapolis. Madeleine Vasaly

Haven Books and Gifts in Big Lake is participating in the Libro.fm golden ticket and will have official Indie Bookstore Day items. There will also be discounts, activities, and local author appearances.

Hey Darling in Austin will be hosting 18 romance authors throughout the weekend (both Saturday and Sunday).

At Little Professor Book Center in Owatonna, everything except magazines will be 20% off.

More Than Words in Moorhead is participating in the Libro.fm golden ticket. The store’s other Indie Bookstore Day plans include “MTW bucks,” free stickers, new merch, and more—stop by or watch the store’s Instagram or Facebook feed for more details.

Paperbacks and Pieces in Winona is participating in the Libro.fm golden ticket and will be offering prizes, discounts, and author partnerships. Meet authors Kathryn Sullivan, Mary de Merle Schams, and Benét Stoen and grab lunch from the Chef’s Table food truck parked outside.

Scout & Morgan Books in Cambridge is participating in the Libro.fm golden ticket. All in-stock new and used books will be 20% off, official Independent Bookstore Day items will be available, and shoppers can get free books and gifts with book purchases.

Sweet Reads in Austin will have exclusive items for sale and as giveaways, and there will be big sales on books as well as snacks for shoppers. The store is also hosting two nature-focused authors: Lisa Cassman (Our Butterfly Walk) will speak about her book for children starting at 10:00 a.m., and award-winning naturalist and photographer Stan Tekiela will sign books from noon to 12:30 p.m. ahead of his free talk on mushroom foraging at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center at 1:30.

Twinflower Books will be running an Indie Bookstore Day pop-up at the Uncommon Loon Brewing Company taproom in Chisago City from noon to 4:00 p.m.

Wildflower Bookshop in Grand Rapids will have “prizes, sales, and lots of fun!”

Zenith Bookstore in Duluth is participating in the Twin Ports Independent Bookstore Passport.

Other Minnesota bookstores to visit online or in person (be sure to check hours and operations) include:

• Back Forty Books (Two Harbors)
• Bookshelves and Coffeecups (New Ulm)
• Chapter 2 Bookstore (Winona)
• Driftless Books (Wabasha)
• James and Mary Laurie Booksellers (Minneapolis)
• Lundeen’s (Fergus Falls)
• Rabata Cultural Bookshop (Arden Hills)
• Turtle Town Books and Gifts (Nisswa)

Jump to:
Minneapolis | St. Paul | Greater Twin Cities Metro | Outside the Metro | Outside Minnesota

Outside Minnesota

Chapter2Books in Hudson, Wisconsin, is participating in the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport.

Dragonfly Books in Decorah, Iowa, will have official Indie Bookstore Day items, giveaways for both kids and adults, Banned Books Bingo, and a special one-day-only sale: 20% off everything you can fit into a limited-edition IBD tote bag. There will also be free balloon art from Twisted by Mariann from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Driftless Books and Music in Viroqua, Wisconsin, will be offering 10% off all used books and media.

Foxes & Fireflies Booksellers in Superior, Wisconsin, is participating in the Twin Ports Independent Bookstore Passport. The store will have two book launches, free book bags, exclusives, discounts, and more.

Full Circle Book Co-Op in Sioux Falls is celebrating the official launch of its book, The First 5 Years: The Story of an Indie Bookstore and Creative Space. There will also be a $25 “fill a tote” sale—“fill a screen printed tote bag with as many books $7 or under as you can find and fit!”—and happy hour from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ($2 off taps, $1 off wine).

Pearl Street Books in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, will be offering a free coffee to the first 25 people through the door, gift certificate giveaways throughout the day, and hidden books next door at Kroners. There will also be a poet pop-up with Clemonce Heard from 10:30 a.m. to noon in honor of National Poetry Month, live piano in the afternoon by local composer and pianist Luke Thering, and more live music from local duo Kris and Lisa Risch from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Silver Dawn Books in Grand Forks will be celebrate its reopening along with Abigail’s Book & Gift Shop. The first 20 customers get a free book swag bag, and there will be cookies available for free and “book-quets” available for purchase (“for that special someone in your life”).

Happy reading!

Did we miss something? Let us know!